


How To Cope

by Timely_Storms



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo Needs a Hug, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, M/M, feral is a good boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 20:34:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30145212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timely_Storms/pseuds/Timely_Storms
Summary: Echo doesn't know how to deal with the emotions he's had since his rescue. luckily, Feral knows a way to help.
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo/Feral
Kudos: 6





	How To Cope

**Author's Note:**

> this is based off an rp but i love them so enjoy

It had been months. He should be _over_ this. The techo union was gone—so why was he still so _afraid?_ Why was he still waking up at night, terrified of the next experiment they were going to perform on him?

Echo was finally _safe._ Why was it so difficult for him to believe it?

He shook his head, and lifted his gaze back to his arm. He had been tinkering with it before he found himself mindlessly staring into space, reminded that he was still alive. Not still in the stasis chamber. Not anymore.

He had spent so long trying to force himself to ignore what he felt—because it made him feel weak. If he faked being okay for long enough—maybe one day he’d _actually_ be okay. He was alone, but it was fine. He’d be fine.

Then he met Feral.

Feral was _good,_ he was kind, and cared about echo like no one else had. It didn’t matter to Feral that Echo was a traumatized, broken, prisoner of war who had survived something horrible. He loved him.

He _cared._

So when Echo shut down—using Savage’s incredibly ability to break his ribs with one swing of his fist—Feral was there.

Feral took Echo’s arm in his hand. “Echo, love, please, _please_ tell me what is wrong? I know you have been through a lot, but I know so little of it. I want to know what haunts you, and makes you feel so horrible. I want to help you deal with it all...”

Echo paused. He didn’t know how to talk about it. But he knew he owed it to Feral to try.

“Can… can you sit for a minute?”

Feral nodded. “Of course.”

He sat beside him, a concerned look on his face. Echo exhaled.

“I... there’s a lot that happened in the past that I don’t really like talking about. I don’t like _thinking_ about it really, and I don’t tell people about… about what happened to me. I have _no_ idea how to cope with that. sometimes when I get... distant—numb—it’s easier to just feel pain than to remember what happened. that’s the only way I know how to cope.” When echo looked up again, Feral’s face only looked more concerned. “I’m sorry. That was a lot.”

Feral shook his head. “It's okay, there's nothing for you to apologize for. I... I understand how you feel. there are many things that are too horrible to speak or think of. and going to others for help feels as if it’s... burdening, to them... but I know that attempting to deal with it all alone will only make it hurt more. I don’t want to imagine what could happen after too long with so much pain…” He gently takes echo's hand in his own, intertwining their fingers and keeping his gaze on their hands for a moment. “which is why I want to know what troubles you, so I can try to help you hurt less. I know you would do the same for me.... you don’t have to tell me right away. you can take your time and I will wait until you feel comfortable enough to share it. all I ask is that, in that time and after, if there are days that it really hurts or you feel numb, don’t hurt yourself. not for me, or your brothers, for you. and you can always come to me, and we can figure out something else to distract from that hurt or numbness for a while.”

Echo didn’t know what to say.

“You… wouldn’t mind me coming to you..? I.. I don’t want to seem like a burden- or like I’m using you…”

Feral gave his hand a squeeze. “Of course I wouldn't. I could never see you as a burden, and you wouldn’t be using me... you deserve to feel alright.” Feral brought Echo’s hand to his lips and pressed a light kiss his knuckles, resting his cheek on his head, “And for as long as I can, I will stay right beside you. no matter what.”

Echo looked at Feral—his kind, sympathetic, determined, incredible boyfriend—and smiled.

“I love you, Feral.”

Feral grinned. “I love you too, Echo. More than there are stars in and beyond the galaxy.”

_‘you can always come to me, and we can figure out something else to distract from that hurt or numbness for a while’_ He had said, such determination in his eyes.

So Echo did.

The ship was dark, Ferals brothers were asleep, and Echo carefully navigated his way up the ladder into the cockpit he knew Feral would be in. Feral stirred when he slid beside him, before his eyes opened. They sharpened in worry.

“Echo?”

Echo shook his head, pressed closer, so close that they were pressed flush together, and tucked his face into Feral’s neck and just _breathed,_ nice and slow, inhaling Feral’s heady scent as it washed over his tense muscles. It helped, just a bit, and when one of Feral’s hands rested between his shoulder blades, he exhaled a noise of content. Feral’s other hand, held lightly at his waist, kept him close, as he slowly allowed the tension to ease from his body.

“You know,” Feral murmured softly, his throat a vibration against Echo’s forehead. “You mean a lot to me.”

Echo did know that. Feral had told him enough, had whispered it to him so many times that he felt like he’ll never forget, and he nodded, just slightly, felt sleep pry at his eyes.

“You’re going to be okay.”

Echo closed his eyes, pressed closer to Feral. “Yeah,” he whispered against his skin. “Yeah, I am.”


End file.
